Chapter 173 Identity
"What do you mean he followed Hercules!?"
"That's exactly what I meant!"
"And you let him!?"
"What did you want me to do, chase them?"
Nisha and Latanya were currently in Van's room. As soon as Van followed Hercules out of the City, Nisha quickly reported it to Latanya, to ask her what to do just in case they don't come back. She wasn't going to at first, but then the sun is almost rising, and they still have not returned.
"You know how fast that little monster is, how would I even be able to follow and stop them!?"
"Tch," Latanya could not help but bite her nail as she thought of what she was going to do in case Van does not come back. Worst case scenario is… he's already dead.
"Damn it! And I adamantly told him to avoid that giant, and he goes following him out of nowhere!" Latanya kicked Van's bed, shattering its frame and causing a loud noise to reverberate throughout the room.
"Agh!" Latanya groaned, "If he was going to do things like this, then he should have abdicated his seat to me first!"
"Hm," Nisha could not help but sigh as she looked out of the terrace. Wherever Van is, she hoped she was safe. She hasn't known her for long, but for some reason…
...She was quite attached to him. She was sure that Gil and the others were the same. There was just something about Van… that attracted people around him.
'To some even more than others,' Nisha thought as she watched Latanya continue to wreak havoc inside Van's room.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The guards, who were guarding Van's room outside, could not help but look at each other as they heard the groaning and rustling noises inside Van's room.
"...Our new President might be small, but he is quite vicious, isn't he?"
"Hm. To think he could handle 2 women at once…
...Truly deserving of being our President."
"Hm. May he live long, prosper... and multiply."
***
Back at the edge of the world,
"I am your message. Send me back to my world…
...my home."
"...Your world?"
"Ah, of course. You would not know yet. Forgive me for assuming that you have fully recovered. Seeing your little human form, it would seem that you have just woken up."
"..."
Van could not help but twitch his eyes as he looked up towards Hercules' face. He didn't know whether he was being serious or not.
"I would have wanted for you to have more experience. But I suppose the way you are now would have to do as I do not know when you will be back to this realm."
"Wait…" Van could only place his hands on his temples as the confusion in his mind was starting to fill his entire head, "Just what exactly do you want me to do, Mister Hercules…
...Carry you out of here?"
"...Do not tell me I truly am the first one you are sending back?"
"...First?"
"Sending back home."
Seeing the confusion in Van's eyes, Hercules could not help but let out a long and deep breath as he placed both his hands on his waist, "Such a predicament I am in."
Van, on the other hand, still stared at Hercules' face. Now that they were only a couple of meters away from each other, Van could truly see how tall Hercules was. His chin was almost at the same level as his knee.
Van was already surprised with how huge Solomon was, but Hercules was just… in a league of his own. How could someone be this tall and skinny at the same time?
...And what was his secret?
"Who… are you?" Van finally asked, "No… what are you?"
Was he the same as Cynthia and Solomon? The woman that Gerald was with, Xinyan, has also mentioned something about the Circle making the normal humans stronger than System Holders…
...Could Hercules be one of them?
Hearing Van's words filled with confusion, Hercules once again let out a long sigh.
"Okay," he muttered, a hint of disappointment clung to his breaths, "I suppose it is my duty to tell you since I am the first one… they did tell your memories will be hazy."
"They--"
"I am a god."
"..."
Van's eyes started to trail as soon as he heard that, desperate to look for an exit from all this craziness.
"To be more exact… I was born of a god and a mortal. But with my deeds…"
Hercules' words abruptly stopped, his eyes suddenly containing a sad but solemn glitter that did not escape Van's notice. It was a sort of… vulnerability that completely sedated Van from all the thoughts of escaping.
"With… my deeds," Hercules once again stuttered, "They welcomed me in Olympus. And thousands of years after that, I became one of them-- a god."
Hearing Hercules' stories, Van once again furrowed his eyebrows. It seemed like a tall tale that only a crazy person would tell, but for some reason, Van could not help but feel that there was a sense of truth in them.
"...Aren't you a System Holder?" Van asked.
"A what?"
"Do you see letters floating in front of you?"
"No. I am not you, respected Messenger. We all don't have the luxury of seeing the words of the World in front of us."
Van's confusion grew even deeper, "...You're truly not a System Holder? What about a… product of the Circle?"
"I do not hold any of this System you speak of," Hercules shook his head, "The only thing I hold in my hands are the blood of those I have killed and conquered."
"..." That's it. This guy is insane, Van thought. It even made Harvey's delusion almost cute now. But still, a part of Van was still curious. Hercules is calling him a Messenger, something which Van only knew of because it was mentioned in a part of his System's skill.
"Then do you know what I am?" Van asked.
"You truly do not know who you are yet, Messenger?" A complicated expression started to creep on Hercules' face as he placed his hand on his chin, "I suppose I should feel honor and dread at the same time, being the first one you will send."
"..."
"You at least know that you are the Messenger of the Gods?"
"..."
"You are also a psychopomp?"
"...A what?"
"You bring the Souls of the dead to the Afterlife?"
"!!!"
Van slightly backed away as soon as he heard that, his eyes, wider than it ever was before, "You… you know that?"
"Of course, isn't that one of your jobs?" This time, it was Hercules who held a deep confusion on his face, "You truly do not know of anything?"
"..."
"Ack!" Hercules shook his hair in frustration, countless of… debris falling from his thick hair, "Lady Athena would be better suited for this."
Athena… Van had heard that before from the message in the Cockatrice Portal. So that means this man truly is…
"...So you truly are one of the Gods of Olympus?"
"Yes! Are you starting to remember now!?"
The beating of Van's heart started to become erratic as he saw the excitement on Hercules' face. Ever since the Gods of Olympus have made their presence known, he had always been curious as to what they were. But alas, he could not do anything about it since they make themselves known randomly… even the dreams were random.
Wait… dreams? Van blinked a couple of times as he focused on Hercules' face, "I… I think I have seen you once."
"Hm?"
"In a dream… Your body had more muscles then so I did not recognize you but… I am sure…" Van's eyes then started to tremble as he remembered one of his dream sequences, "You were ripping the wings of some sort of soldier."
"Yes!" Hercules clapped his hands, "You've retained memories of that time!?"
Van's breaths also started to become erratic, following a certain rhythm alongside his beating heart. There was no doubt about it now, Hercules knew about his System and about the things that have been happening to him.
But with this sudden realization, Van could not help but feel nervous, taking a huge gulp as he glanced at Hercules' face once more. Was he… truly in the presence of a god?
"I wish I could tell you more, Messenger…" Hercules then sighed as he saw the look on Van's face, "But some information still eludes me. Only Lady Athena can fully answer your questions…
...But still, ask away. It is the least I could do."
"...Then where are we right now?" Van let out a long and nervous breath as he looked at the vast and empty space in front of them. The Portal has always been a mystery, and although it doesn't really matter to him, there was still this certain curiosity.
"We are in a fragmented universe."
"...Fragmented?"
"Yes, a place where a great war was once fought," Hercules said, his tone solemn as he placed his hand on the invisible barrier that surrounded the entire Pit.
"A war?" Van muttered, "Between the winged soldiers and… the Gods of Olympus?"
"Seraphs and Cherubs. But it is good that you are aware of that at least, Messenger."
"Just… dreams."
"Memories," Hercules quickly interjected, "We… destroyed this once beautiful place because of a silly war. And now most of us are trapped in these… fragments. The fragments of our worlds, in which only the monsters are capable of surviving and continue to spawn."
"..." Fragments… The Portals? Van thought.
"The only one that managed to escape was the only surviving Seraph…
...as well as you." Hercules then pointed at Van, looking him straight in the eyes.
"...Me?"
"Yes."
"...Then who am I?" Van took a nervous gulp, his words leaving from his mouth stuttered, "Who am I to you?"
"...My brother…
...Lord Hermes."